Sash-lift.



No. 724,701". PATENTED APR. v, 1903.

O. P. HOWARD.

SASH LIFT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. HOWARD OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

SAS H LIFT.

SPECIFICATION forming at of Letters Patent'N'o. 724,701, dated April 7,1903.

Application filed January 21, 1903. Serial No. 139,926. (No model.)

ers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to improved devices for supporting window-sashesat-difierent heights for enabling the sashes to be raised,

and lowered with ease and to remainseourely latched in the position inwhich theyare left. 7

The invention is particularly adapted for the windows of railway-coachesin which the constant jarring is liable to effect the security of alldevices of this class and in which also it is desirable to have thegreatest certainty of fastening, combined with greatest ease andsimplicity of operation, in order to enable it to be comprehended andoperated by unskilful persons.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front view of one of the sash-holdersapplied in position. Fig. 2 is a rearward view of the parts shown inFig. 1 with the cover-plate of the lock removed to show the interiormechanism. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the catch portion of the devicelooking from the left hand side of Fig. l.

The rack 5 is secured by screws or in any other convenient way upon thewindow-casing 6, while the catch-frame 7 is secured by screws or in anyconvenient or desired way to the window-sash 4, the framebeingpreferably provided with dowel-like projections 9 to seat thecatch-frame more firmly in place. The catch-frame is provided with aprojecting lifting-piece 8, suitable for receiving two.

or more fingers of the operator in raising the sash. The interiorcatch'mechanism is contained in the box-like interior 10 of the frame 7and is covered and held in place by means of a plate 11 or in any otherconvenient way familiar to locksmiths. The downwardly-extending pawl 12is pivotally mounted at 13 in the frame and is provided with teeth uponits side, preferably two or three in number,

which match the teeth of the rack 5 when the pawl is in engagementtherewith, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The upper faces of the rackteethand the corresponding end faces of the 'rectly upon the thumb-lever 16.

pawl-teeth are approximately perpendicular to a line drawn from thoseteethto the pivotaxis of the pawl 12, so as to avoid any tendency forthe pawl to slip off the rack by the weight of the sash, while stillenabling the pawl to be readily retracted from the rack when desired.

The thumb-lever 16 is pivotally mounted at 17 upon the frame 7 andengages with the upper end of the pawl 12 in a direction to withdraw thepawl from the rack-teeth by the downward movement of the thumb-lever to--ward the lifting-piece 8, these parts being so placed that while thesash is being lifted by the fingers applied under the lifting-piece 8the thumb of the operator may be applied di- Thus the operator maycontrol the lifting of the sash solely by means of his fingers whileoperating the latch independently of the lifting motion by means of histhumb. This is particularly desirable where one of these latches isemployed on each side of the window, as is usually the case, thusrequiring both hands of the operator to raise or lower and fasten thesash.

"Spring-pressure devices are employed for pressing the pawl 12 outwardlytoward the rack and for lifting the thumb piece upwardly, and thesepressure devices are preferably in the form of two independent springs19 and 20, which are supported in suitable seats or pockets in thecatch-frame and bear against the pawl 12 and the thumb-lever 16,respectively. Thus the strength and expansibility of each spring may beexactly adapted to the requirements of the parts which they respectivelyoperate, and the employment of two independent springslessens the dangerof disabling the look by the breakage of springs.

The catch and rack herein shown and de* scribed is applied to theleft-hand side of the Window-sash and may therefore be termed aleft-handed catch. ltis obvious, however, that a mated right-hand catchmay be em ployed upon the opposite or'right-hand side of the sashinstead of or in addition to the left-handed catch herein shown.

In many of the sash-holders employed for this purpose the catch-pawl orlatch is so dis= posed as to be operated by the action of lift the sashserving to withdraw the pawl from its supporting-rack. One of thedifficulties in this form of sash-holder was that a freerunning sashwould follow the downward movement of the fingers intended to apply thepawl, it being necessary in such cases to support the sash at some otherpoint in order to allow the latch to engage with the rack, this being,particularly objectionable where a catch was employed upon each side ofthe window-sash, requiring both hands of the operator to manipulate thecatches, it being necessary in such cases to let go of one of thecatches with one hand in order to support the sash with that hand. Thisand other 0bjections of such sash-holders are overcome by theimprovementherein shown and described.

An important requirement in devices of this class, especially whenemployed for railway service, is that they shall be entirely free fromrattling or jarring noises, and yet be easy enough in their movement tobe operated readily with moderate exertion. These re quirements aresatisfied to a high degree by this device.

The parts are simple in construction and require no careful or exactfitting, all lost motion being taken up by the spring-pressure device,so as to avoid rattling,while also making the action firm, free, andelastic.

I claim as my invention- The combination in a sash-holder, of a rackhaving upwardly-facing teeth, a catch therefor comprising alifting-piece, a downwardlyprojecting pivotally-supported toothed pawlCHARLES P. HOWARD.

Witnesses:

W. H. HoNIss, CAROLINE M. BRECKLE.

